'Better than nothing' goals are the answer to getting you out of that rut

Ideally, everyone would love to stay on track to achieving their health goals at all times. But the truth is, even the most dedicated wellness warriors can sometimes slip up.

And, when you’ve fallen off the wellness wagon, it can be so hard to pick yourself back up again. One day slides into another, and before you know it you’re well and truly in a rut.

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February 27th 2017

2 years ago

So how can you ever get back to where you were, when even the first step seems impossible?

Enter BTN goals.

They stand for ‘Better Than Nothing’ goals and they can be just what you need to yank you out of your rut.

“The better-than-nothing goal is this idea that when we lower expectations in the short run, we can achieve bigger things in the long run.”

The idea is that you set a small, BTN goal and keep doing it till it becomes a habit.

Once you feel no resistance to doing that goal, you then adjust your goalposts.

For example, Vanderkam set herself a BTN goal of running one mile (approximately 1.6 kms) each day, which she said only takes her about ten minutes.

“A lot of the times, once I start running, I want to keep going. But even if I don’t, I’ve done my 10 minutes. Because of this, I’ve been able to stick with this streak in a way that if I had set a bigger goal, I would not have.”

Life Coach Kate Cashman is a big believer in BTN goals.

“Sometimes when we're in a rut we can't see the wood for the trees - we see things in a more negative head space, we employ more negative self-talk and we feel like we're never going to be able to achieve the really 'big' goals that we had always wanted to.”

That’s why BTN goals are so helpful.

“I like to think of BTN goals as being related to the ‘daily one per cent’ - where each day we aim to do something just one per cent better than the day, week or month before.

“That adds up - if we do a one per cent BTN goal daily, that's 365 per cent towards whatever it is we are working towards per year,” explains Cashman.

BTN goals are also effective, she says, because they help you overcome that dreaded feeling of overwhelm.

“Overwhelm can be a really big reason why people don't achieve the goals they set for themselves, and BTN reduces that feeling by making it a lot more achievable and less intimidating.”

Of course, you can apply BTN goals to any aspect of your life.

When it comes to exercising, Cashman says you can start by setting small goals, like doing 20 body weight squats, 10 push-ups, or some burpees.

Then, aim to increase either the number of reps or number of exercises each day.

For better nutrition, a BTN goal can be as simple as swapping out an unhealthy snack for a healthier option, or aiming to start the day really well hydrated.

Once you’ve mastered that first BTN goal, keep aiming higher.

Eventually, through baby steps, you’ll realise you’ve crawled your way out of your rut and are back on your way to kicking major goals.

So if you find yourself deep inside a rut, don’t panic. You don’t need to wake up tomorrow and attempt to tackle a zillion health goals to get you back on track. All you need to do is pick one BTN goal to get your ball rolling again.

Because when you’re floundering, Cashman reassures, “BTN goals… [are] such a brilliant way to get unstuck.”